Tuesday, April 01, 2008

The Patriot Point - USS Yorktown CV - 10

At nearly 900 feet in length, weighing in at more than 27,000 ton and bristling with weapons and war planes, the aircraft carrier USS Yorktown (CV-10) was one of the most imposing modern marvels on the planet during WWII.

But it was her crew, some 2,500 sailors, who brought her to life, generated her fearless spirit and christened her with the nickname The Fighting Lady.

CV-10’s keel was laid on December 1, 1941 at Newport News, Virginia. This was a new breed of ship; the Essex class carrier. Longer, wider and heavier than its predecessor, the Essex class could hold more aircraft and became the backbone of the WWII Navy. Originally, CV-10 was to be known as the Bon Homme Richard but was renamed in honor of the only American carrier lost in the pivotal Battle of Midway, USS Yorktown (CV-5).

Launched by First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, this new Yorktown would take on Japanese forces in epic battles; the Battle of the Philippine Sea, the Marshall Islands, Truk, The Mariana Islands; Iwo Jima, to name a few. And in the open waters of the Pacific Yorktown became a target of desperate Kamikaze missions.

Yorktown and her valiant crew would earn many honors for extraordinary heroism including the Presidential Unit Citation.

In the years that followed WWII, continued to play a vital role for the Navy including involvement in the Vietnam War. Yorktown even earned a place in space exploration history with the recovery of NASA’s Apollo 8 crew in 1968.

Patriots Point's Vietnam Naval Support Base Camp features many of the various craft used to combat the dangers of patrolling the jungle and rivers throughout the Vietnam War.

On display is an original River Patrol Boat, which was used to stop and search boat traffic in areas such as the Mekong Delta, the Rung Sat Special Zone, the Saigon River and in I Corps, in the area assigned to Task Force Clearwater, in an attempt to intercept weapons shipments.

The extraordinary aircraft collection includes two Army Huey helicopters that were used in Vietnam following initial fielding in September 1962. The Huey saw service with the 82nd Airborne Division, the 101st Airborne Division, and the 57th Medical Detachment. The Huey became the basis for the creation of the 1st Aviation Brigade in 1966.

The display also is home to a Sea Cobra attack helicopter and many of the actual weaponry that was used during the Vietnam War.

The Seawolves and the Brown Water NavyDuring the Vietnam War, controlling the vast deltas was critical and that meant controlling the rivers. That was the mission of the courageous Americans who formed the so-called Brown Water Navy. Their story is told at the Patriots Point Naval Support Base where a river patrol boat is joined by UH-1 Huey Helicopters.

Also on display is an impressive collection of artifacts from American forces as well as South Vietnamese and North Vietnamese forces.

With the official Navy designation PBR, the river patrol boat crews were in constant danger of ambush and attack on the Vietnamese delta. PBR's took on the dangerous task of stopping and searching boat traffic in the Mekong Delta, the SaigonRiver and many other enemy positions on or near the water. Often times PBR crews were involved in some of the war's most vicious firefights.

With UH-1 Huey helicopters anchoring the exhibit, the extraordinary story of the Seawolves, the elite HAL-3 helicopter squadron, comes to life. Racing at tree top level, these helo gunships working in tandem with PBR's and other Navy craft. Critical members of the Brown Water Navy, Seawolves scrambled to provide close air support and answer distress calls from their brothers in arms.

Also on display in an AH-1 Cobra attack helicopter. The heavily armed Cobra went into service in 1967 and became one of the most feared weapons of the war.

This is such an interesting post, Sue. The bridge is new since I left there in 1995. I remember taking the tour at Patriot's Point and I felt very claustrophobic on the ship, so had to leave and go outside. :) But, it was fun and interesting.

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